Kingdom Hearts: The Epic of Gilgamesh
by C.D. Drake
Summary: Lost in the Rift, Gilgamesh and Enkidu continue their journey back home to fight their rival, Bartz. Along the way, they find a lone stranger moving through a black portal which leads them to a realm divided into many worlds. Join the duo on their quest as they explore different dimensions and meet many characters from Disney and Final Fantasy.
1. Prologue

Kingdom Hearts

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Prologue

The sound of cheers echoed as warriors gathered around a ring in the center of their village. The women and children soon followed to see the event that was about to unfold. Before them a man and his son were facing toward a large cage that shivered and shook with something growling angrily inside. The father placed a hand on his boy's shoulder, their crimson sashes snug tight around their faces, showing no sign of fear or concern. Such things were a sign of weakness in their people. The boy held tight his naginata spear, knowing his test was about to start.

"Remember son..." said the boy's father. "This is what I have trained you for since you were very small. This is the only way you shall be considered a man to our people. It is very important that you finish the task we set before you."

"Yes, Father." said the boy.

The cage became agitated as a green hand reached out to claw as those who were coming close. They kept pointing their spears at it warily and brushed away the small feathers flying out between the bars.

"Your task is to defeat this beast in battle. We have caught it while it was trying to abduct our children. Teach your opponent that we are not ones to take such threats to us lightly and you will be given a symbol to prove your worth to us."

He nodded as the two warriors finally got close enough to open the cage they both stood back as the imprisoned beast leaped out and spread its dark wings, creating a sinister shadow under the sunlight. It looked around with burning yellow eyes, filled with hunger and hatred for everyone watching. It they had their weapons at the ready since it looked like it was scanning around for new prey. It saw a woman with a baby among the group and it prepared itself to pounce. However, its concern was not with a hunt.

The boy reached at the ground and picked up a single stone. He threw it at the beast which screeched angrily at him as soon as it hit. The shadow of the wings recoiled and tucked behind it to give a clear view of its face. It was like a demon with horns that jutted up with hair as red as the spilled blood of its victims the night before. Its maw opened to show rows of sharp teeth, fangs that had blackened and stained with use. The sight of it made his heart sink and his blood run cold, but he had to stay strong, this was not a time for fear.

"Steady, Son, he's about to attack! Remember everything I have taught you!" said his father, staying behind the boundaries. He knew in his heart, if anything happens, he can't save his child, no matter how serious the fight becomes.

The green demon pounced at him, he had no time to think,only to fight. As if time slowed down, he could easily the talons of its fingers reaching out to him. He swung the blade of his naginata at it just as it was about to cut across his face, it shined brightly from the sun's reflection almost as if was a counteracting force against monster's shadow. He closed his eyes to listen to the screams.

* * *

A man in red walked along a lonely road in a very strange place. The sun never shined, yet he could see everything around him quite well. Nothing but black horizons with floating islands of stone with nothing living around except maybe a few things slithering in the shadows, which was nothing he couldn't handle on his own after being stuck there long enough. However, what he didn't notice was something flying around above him. It circled around before diving down and landing on his shoulders and bringing its face in front of his, upside-down.

It said, "Boo..." in a quiet way, as if he knew the man wouldn't be startled or even give a care.

The man stared at him to show not amused, and said, "Well, Enkidu, have you found a new way out of the Rift yet?"

The demonic creature, Enkidu, shook his head and said, "Sorry Gil, I couldn't find anything this time."

"My name is Gilgamesh. Must you always get it wrong?" said the man, continuing forward through the wastes.

"Hey, I'm just shortening it because it's a mouth-full." said Enkidu as he hovered beside his comrade. "You know, we've been wandering around this place for years. I'm starting to doubt we'll ever find the way out. Even if we did, do you think we would be the way home? The last one left us looking for a fishing rod that had a name like a sword and I was a dog! Not to mention that the inhabitants kept beating us to the punch multiple times. I think we should..."

"So, what should we do? Give up? What do you think keeps me going through all these dimensions? Why do you think I keep honing my skills against every foe we face in every realm we come across? We must go back, no matter how many wrong turns we take! I must fight and defeat that punk, Bartz!"

"Yes, but will it be worth it I wonder? Think about it Gil, that realm did nothing but banish and resent the both of us!"

"I know... I remember when I didn't have the guts to finish you off in the battle and spared your life. The village cast me out for my weakness..."

"Well, I still have to thank you for that though." said the demon flying off his shoulders and walked off ahead. "And that Exdeath guy was nice enough to take us in after we had nothing left."

"He's the reason we are here..." said Gilgamesh in a disgruntled way. He hated hearing that name.

"Yeah, that too..."

Enkidu also remembered the cruel things they were both treated with each time they failed a mission that tyrant gave them.

Gilgamesh shouted to the cold, black heavens, "None of that matters to me though. The only concern I have to find that little punk who kept defeating me each time! I will find a way out of this dimensional prison and have my revenge! I shall prove to that world that I am the greatest swordsman in the world... no, in all worlds!"

"Whatever you say, Gil..."

Gilgamesh stopped in his tracks when he heard something.

"Shh... someone is speaking..."

"Who, besides me?"

"SHH! They're over to the side of the road, beyond those rocks... Take a look around and tell me what you see."

Enkidu nodded and flew high up into the dark sky to take a good look in the direction the voices were coming from. His binocular vision could see very well that there was someone not to far from where they were.

"Hey, I can see him! Some fat guy with a cape. He looks like he's talking to himself, can't see anyone else with him..."

"Hmm... strange... I'll move in for a closer look. You stay up there Enkidu, just for when anything else shows up."

"Can do, Brother!"

"And stay quiet!"

"Sorry..."

The warrior ran over to a rock and hid behind it to take a look. In the middle of a strange glassy, pool-like surface, stood a strange-looking person with a thick gut, large arms with hands to match, short legs, pointed ears, and a large jaw with two teeth sticking out from below. Certainly, he did seem very strange for someone among all the dimensions these two have seen. In fact, he looked more like an animal than that of any person they saw.

They were close enough to hear him say, "Really? Oh, then you can count on me! Just get me out of here and you can tell me what to do!"

A woman's voice could be heard echoing across the Rift.

"A very wise choice indeed. Now... proceed."

The duo looked around for the source of the voice, but they couldn't find a source. It wasn't even a second before a black hole suddenly appeared behind him.

Enkidu swooped in next to Gilgamesh and whispered, "Gil, that's another opening out of the..!"

"Silence!" said the swordsman, stopping him from saying another word.

The fat one seemed to catch his voice and looked around. Fortunately, he didn't seem to notice him, so he shrugged and moved through the portal.

"With your help, all the worlds in existence will me mine." said the voice.

After the stranger disappeared into the blackness, Gilgamesh ran out toward the portal. He cared not if it led back home, only that it would be temporary release from the Rift, respite from this cold, evil place. He jumped, but he was too late the hole closed and he was still left there with his face grinding against the hard stone of the ground.

"Oh, tough break Gil! That would probably be the last hole we'll find for miles!"

Gilgamesh growled and stood up.

"No! It is not! I can still open it back up!" he shouted, reaching into his red cloak. A massive curved blade emerged from under it. Its edge looked like it was thin enough to cut through just about anything. If that wasn't unsettling, it would be the jagged in design of the blade, along with the skull that made it grim, like Death's scythe.

"Zantetsuken? Gil, you do realize that we wont know what place or time in that dimension we'll end up if we use that!"

He didn't listen to his advice and slashed the blade. A rip in space-time opened up before them, awaiting them to pass through. Gilgamesh looked to his companion.

"Anywhere and anytime is better than here and now."

He jumped through without another word. Enkidu shook his head.

"Gilgamesh, why must you always do these things and take me along? Oh well, might as well make sure he doesn't try to kill himself. I wonder what form I shall take this time? Wolf? Man? Child? Blade? I might as well see for myself."

He spread his feathery wings and flew through the hole after his friend. The both of them have grown accustomed to the feeling of falling through the tunnels of swirling black and flashes of light. What they weren't ready for was what was on the other side. They were soon sent flying through space toward a winding tower. Gilgamesh grew frightened and waved his arms and legs in a feeble attempt to slow down and stop the impact. Enkidu wanted to fly and save him, but soon found he had no wings! There was a loud crash and a huge splash. The duo found themselves floating in water and everything went black. They were in so much pain from the impact, that they couldn't move or breath. Sleep was all that was left for them.


	2. World 1: Symphony of Sorcery

World 1

Symphony of Sorcery

The sorcerer's apprentice relaxed as he closed a door behind him, leading to his master's fountain. He just wanted a way to get out of refilling the boiler for a little while and have someone or something else do it instead, just use the sorcerer's cap to animate a broom and have it handle the job. He didn't think that it would cause this much of a mess! Good thing that ax came in handy! The study billowed with so much water, that he could see some of it rippling just down the stairs. It needed cleaning up before the master knew any of this was happening.

As he began to march down the stairs, his round ears thought he could hear something behind the door. It sounded like bits of wood, creaking and cracking before it was like an army of cleaner sweeping up the floor. It made his hair stand on end and he couldn't help but take a peek. He slowly opened the door and found something that made a chill run in his spine. Every splintered piece of the broom he tried to stop by chopping was now regenerating. New sticks for bodies, bristles for legs, and arms to carry new buckets of water that have appeared beside them.

Those that were already upright picked up their buckets and began to march toward the door. Huge droves came forward with their loads spilling on the floor. The apprentice tried to stop them by shutting the door and keep it held shut, but it was too much for him. The army of brooms knocked him and the door out-of-the-way before trampling and sleeping all over his body. They moved down into the flooded room and continued to dump water into it as if the job was to have the room filled.

The little upstart had to do something! He ran down the stairs and desperately grabbed an empty bucket before running to an open window. Using this, he tried to scoop up and dump every last bit of water outside. This still wasn't enough, it was his bucket against the hundreds of theirs. In minutes, the room went from being a shallow pond to a very deep lake! The brooms were not stopping until the tower was bursting!

When the water's depth reached above the window, its current carried the young apprentice into many swirling torrents and whirlpools. He screamed and shouted for help before looking up to see the brooms were still coming. They were never going to stop unless... Floating above the surface, the master's spell book lay open. He swam over and grabbed and held on it as a life supporter in the ocean to start turning the pages. Something in the vast sections had to stop this mess!

Suddenly, from above, something crashed through the walls near the ceiling. Two fast-moving objects rammed through the stone bricks and into the chamber doors. This caused the water to flow down the spiral staircase with him riding it with the book as a raft. He held on for dear life as the tome reached the bottom and began to swirl in a whirlpool that spun wildly from the torrents draining down. This commotion was enough to wake the dead, or in this case, an old man.

The master opened his chamber door and saw his entire study was in chaos. Before it became worse, the sorcerer raised his hands and with each time he did so, the water surged and receded. The brooms stopped in their tracks and faded away, the buckets followed soon after. He made his way to the ground floor where, among the last bits of bubbling and disappearing puddles, his apprentice was found laying face first with his magic cap between his round ears.

The apprentice rose to his feet and saw his master, looming over him with a scowl on his face. He felt ashamed having being seen like this and handed him back the hat. The sorcerer took it without hesitation along with the broom that used to cause this disaster. Slowly, he picked up two buckets nearby and held them up, wondering if it would be better if he just went back to his chores. The sorcerer stared down at him as if to say yes before watching him tip-toe away. As soon as he started to see a smile appear on the boy's face, he used his broom to sweep behind him and send him to his work faster.

The sorcerer was about to turn around and return to his chambers when he caught something moving at the other side of the room within the corner of his eye. He looked to see, under the dim light, there were two strangers lay on the floor and where completely soaked. One was a man in red with elaborate clothing and a white feather pinned above his head. The other, a red-headed boy in his late teens who wore old green clothes that made him look like he was off the streets with holes in his shirt and pants.

He shouted to his apprentice, "Mickey, once you finish with your chores, I would like you to help me take these two to the guest rooms. They seem unconscious."

"Yes sir, Master Yen Sid!" said the apprentice.

((To be Completed...))


End file.
